Axle-nut.



PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

J. BERRY.

AXLE NUT.

APPLICATION :FILED DEG. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Q/vi humaan lUNTTED STATES Patented November 8, 1904. l

PATENT @Priora JOHN BERRY, OF. BERRYVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,150, dated November 8, 1904:.

Application filed December 24, 1903. Serial No. 186,461. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN BERRY, a citizenquentl y occurs with the ordinary threaded end now employed.

lVith these objects in View the invention consists, essentially, in constructing the spindle with a reduced end portion carrying an elongated head at the outer end and in constructing the nut with an elongated opening through which the elongated head passes, said nut carrying a cap which is adapted to fit upon the elongated head and be locked in connection with the nut, thereby preventing the said nut turning upon the end of the spindle.

rlhe invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specication, Figure l is a perspective view showing my invention applied to the end of an axle-spindle. Fig. 2 is a view showing the locking-cap disconnected from the nut. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the nut with one of the spring-arms detached therefrom. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the end of the axle-spindle. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal sectional view of the nut; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the nut and 'lockingcap applied to the end of the spindle, said spindle being shown in elevation.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the spindle of an axle, which is reduced adjacent the end, as shown at A', providing a shoulder A2, and still further reduced, as shown at A3, providing a shoulder Ai, and at the extreme end of the spindle is arranged a vertical elongated head A5. It will be understood, however, that it is not necessary that the elongation should bevertical, as the said head can be elongated horizontally or in any other direction so long as it is elongated or non-circular. The nut B is made with a circular bore B, which extends nearly to its forward end, said circular bore being interrupted by the inwardly-projecting shoulders B2, adjacent the said forward end, and at the forward end of the nut the opening B3 is elongated or noncircular in shape and is of a size to permit the head A5 to pass therethrough, and when the nut is arranged upon the reduced end of the spindle the inner end bears against the shoulder A2 and the shoulders B2 bear against the shoulder A The nut therefore turns freely upon the end of the spindle, said end of the spindle being of such length that when the nut is arranged thereon the elongated head will project beyond and through the same, and for the purpose of holding the nut upon the end of the spindle the said nut is given a quarter-turn, so -that the major axes of the head A5 and the opening B3 are brought at right angles to each other. For the purpose of locking the nut in this position I employ a cap C, which has an elongated or non-circular opening C', into which the head A5 fits when the said cap is fastened to the nut, and in order to accomplish this I employ two fingers C2, vwhich are connected to the nut and which slide in grooves B4, produced in the opposite sides of the nut B, said grooves vbeing arranged at the ends of the elongated opening B3. It will be noted that the fingers C2 are arranged at the sides of the elongated openings C', so that the major axes of the opening C and B3 are at right angles to each other. The outer :sides of the linger C2 areprovided with ratchet-teeth C3, which are adapted to be engaged by the pawls D', carried by the spring-plates D, fastened at D2 to the nut` B. the outer ends D3 of said spring-plates being turned outwardly, so that the said plates can be easily separated by the proper tool for the purpose of disengaging the pawls from the fingers, so that the cap can be drawn out whenever it is desired to remove the nut from the end of the spindle.

In operation the nut is placed upon the spin- IOO die and given a quarter-turn, so that the head A5 will serve to hold the nut against longitudinal movement, and the ratchet-faced fingers are then inserted in the grooves B'l and the cap C forced against the nut and the head AD will enter the opening C', the spring-actuated pawls engaging the ratchet-faced iingers, holdingl the eap against longitudinal movement, and in this manner the nut is securely fastened upon the end of the spindle and held against both rotary and longitudinal movement.

lhenever it is desired to remove the nut, the spring-plates are separated, disengaging the pawls and the Cap can then be either completely removed or drawn outwardly a sufficient distance to disengage the cap from the head oi' the spindle. The nut can then be quickly and easily removed from the end of the spindle by giving the nut a quarter-turn and slipping it of'the end oi' the spindle.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A nut having a circular bore extending nearly therethrough, said circular bore being interrupted adjacent its forward end by inwardly-projecting shoulder, the opening' at the outer end of the nut being elongated, and the cap having an elongated opening', said cap having' ratchet-faced iingers adapted to embrace the sides of the nut, and the spring-actuated pawls carried by the nut and adapted to engage the ratchet-faced lingers for the purpose set forth.

2. rlhe combination with the spindle reduced adjacent the end and having the elongated head at the end, of the nut having an elongated opening at the outer end and the cap having an elongated opening, the ratchetfaced lingers carried by the cap and the springactuated pawls carried by the nut and adapted to engage the ratchet-faced fingers, as set forth. l

3. rlhe combination with the spindle reduced adjacent its end providing shoulders and having an elongated head at its end, of the nut having inwardly-projecting shoulders adjacent the forward end and an elongated opening' at said forward end, said nut having grooves upon the opposite sides thereof, the cap having an elongated opening, the ratchetfaced fingers attached to the said cap and adapted to work in the grooves in the sides of the nut, the spring-plates connected to the nut and the pawls carried by said spring-plates, substantially as set forth.

JOHN BERRY.

Witnesses:

MARTIN PETERS, JAMES H. PnTnRs. 

